February brought some challenges for public lands and it also brought Draw Results Day. Alaska BHA hosted 3 Draw Tag Celebrations across the state, including in Anchorage with Alaska Wild Project, Fairbanks, and Kodiak. Double Shovel Cider Co. hosted us in Anchorage and Kodiak and we had a blast at both cideries. Kodiak was generous enough to brew us a special batch of Backcountry Berry and Anchorage created a wonderful Governor's Reserve in honor of BHA's 2025 Governor's Tags to raise funds for ADF&G Wildlife Conservation.  If you're in Anchorage this month, head over and get yours before it's tapped. ALASKA NEWS STATEWIDE CONSERVATION OPPORTUNITY The Brooks Range offers some of the last, best fly-in and float hunting opportunities in North America. Here in the mostwild and remote hunting and fishing grounds America has to offer, hunters and anglers target trophy moose, caribou, grizzly, Dall sheep, sheefish, and Arctic grayling. These opportunities are why more than 45 Alaska-based businesses, leading outdoor brands, and conservation organizations have united to form Hunters & Anglers for the Brooks Range to safeguard thiswild landscape against the proposed Ambler Road. - HABR Sign up for Brooks Range Updates IDITAROD 2025 Paige Dronby, #26!  Cody Strathe, AK BHA Board Member, and his partner Paige own Squid Acres Kennel and Susitna Adventure Lodge in Cantwell. This year, Paige is (so far) at the head of the packs in the 2025 Iditarod Race, across vast public lands.  The Iditarod National Historic trail is a 1,000 mile between Seward and Nome, with 1,400 miles of side trails that link communities off the main trail and route through historic sites. Congress established the Iditarod as a National Historic Trail in 1978. The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) collaborates with partners to preserve and promote the historic significance of the Iditarod, a unique part of our nation's National Historic Trails system. GO PAIGE! Photos by: Mark Lindberg, AK BHA Board Member Follow the Iditarod! SOUTHEAST EVENTS JUNEAU Join Alaska BHA and Brad Elfers from Alaska Fly Fishing Goods on Wednesday March 19th for a talk about Fly Fishing out of Juneau. Learn about the seasonal fisheries and opportunities from on and off the road system for seasoned fly fishers and beginners alike. Have you heard of the AK Fly Fishing Goods Weekly Fly Fishing Report? You'll want to get up to speed on this, so come out on out! We'll also have an interest sign-up sheet for a Fly Casting Class from the Fly Shop and AK BHA for those interested in getting into fly fishering, or just tuning up your casting! We'll have a raffle, door prize, and more so come hang out with us on March 19th at Forbidden Peak! Finding Hooters: Sooty Grouse Survey Program in Southeast AK (ADFG) Join Alaska BHA and Cameron Carroll, the Small Game Program Coordinator from Alaska Dept. of Fish & Game,  for a presentation on volunteer opportunities for citizen science, particularaly Sooty Grouse Surveys in Juneau and across Southeast Alaska. Learn about the Small Game Program and how you can help on key conservation initiatives here in Southeast Alaska. We'll have an interest sign-up sheet for a Sooty Grouse surveys. Cameron will be hosting training sessions taking place during the week of April 7th, in the days following this Pint Night. We'll also have a raffle for a bino harness and bear spray holster from Mystery Ranch, door prize, and more! eBird for Waterfowlers, Birders, and Outdoor Enthusiasts Are you a passionate waterfowl hunter? Just getting started? Or maybe you love walking the wetlands observing birds and wildlife. Join us for an engaging session on Friday, April 18th from 6-8 PM at Devil's Club Brewing Co. to learn about eBird, a fantastic citizen science tool that allows you to document bird sightings, deepen your understanding of local wildlife, and contribute to local, regional, and international conservation. CONSERVATION OPPORTUNITY The Statewide Transportation Improvement Program Amendment 2 is out for public comment by March 20, and the Juneau Douglas North Crossing is included in it.    Comment on the AK STIP SOUTHCENTRAL CONSERVATION UPDATE At the January Board of Game Meetings for the Central and Southwest Regions, Proposal 61: Change the start date for the ptarmigan hunting season in Unit 13B as follows: Ptarmigan Unit 13B August 20 - February 15. 10 per day - 20 in possession, carried 4-2.  This means, come this August you can't begin hunting ptarmigan on the east side of the Denali Highway until August 20th, instead of August 10th.   ANCHORAGE EVENTS '   OUT IN THE COMMUNITY: Don’t miss ALaska Falconers, Alaska BHA and ADF&G at this year’s Great Alaskan Sportsman Show-- Friday March 7th and Saturday March 8th! Learn about the #akcopperammochallenge rebate program and try copper today. Info about ballistics, costs, availability, and lethality will be available.     Opportunity: Alaskan hunters are eligible for a rebate of up to $80 off two boxes of copper rifle ammunition or up to $25 off a box of bullets. Come stop by the booth!    INTERIOR EVENTS Brought to you by: Backcountry Hunters & Anglers, UAF Pub, and Midnight Sun Fly Casters. Doors open at 6:30PM. Film begins at 7:00PM. Film list and information: https://www.flyfilmfest.com/films/ Prizes will be raffled, including a guided fishing trip for Arctic grayling on the Delta Clearwater River. GOVERNOR'S TAGS BHA's 2025 Alaska Governor's Tag Raffles Proceeds from BHA's 2025 Alaska Governor's Tag raffles will help fund ADF&G conservation efforts, providing opportunities for stewardship, citizen science, and more via BHA's partnership. 70%  of the proceeds from this raffle will fund help fund ADF&G Conservation efforts, including the bison restoration. BHA plans to use the 30% of the proceeds we keep for specific conservation uses, towards supporting the Blacktail Deer Foundation's ongoing pre/post treatment deer monitoring project in Southeast Alaska. To enter to win a Chugach Brown Bear or Copper River Bison hunt with gear package from some of BHA's generous partners, like: Seek Outside, Stone Glacier, Sitka Gear, Vortex, Aziak Equipment, Zoleo, Benchmade and Worksharp. These raffles close on March 31st. Get your entries in soon! Enter the Alaska Governor's Tag Raffles     NEW BLOGS Mountain Goat ID and Implications for Conservation   Take a peek at our January 30th Mountain Goat ID Event recap and consider supporting Board of Game proposals 90 and 91. Board of Game Comments are due by close of business on Friday March 7th. February 21st, AKA Draw Tag Day, was a FUN NIGHT! Read the Full Recap The Power of Community: BHA’s Mission Across the Country by Alec Boyd-Devine No matter where we roam—whether it’s the temperate rainforests of Alaska or the red rock deserts of Utah—our passion for public lands unites us. Attending the Western Hunting and Conservation Expo in Salt Lake City and joining BHA Utah’s Public Lands Party reinforced the power of this community and our shared responsibility to protect the places we love. Though our landscapes and pursuits may differ, the fight for access, conservation, and the future of public lands is one we must stand together in—across state lines and ecosystems. Read the Full Recap BHA MEMBER SPOTLIGHT Drew Von Lindern I didn’t really grow up hunting or fishing, beyond the odd trout fishing trip as a kid, though I’ve always had a love of nature. I studied environmental science and ecology in college and I was captivated by the conservation and land ethic concepts and principles espoused by Aldo Leopold, but it wasn’t until I moved to Alaska after college that I became intrigued by the notion of harvesting food from the land. I was lucky enough to find friends who took me under their wings, and we’ve been hunting together ever since. I found myself constantly in amazement of the breathtaking landscapes and incredible ecosystems of the Last Frontier, but I began to realize I was taking for granted that the vast majority of the lands were publicly owned and accessible. Especially as Alaska’s natural resources, and our access to them, seem to be constantly under threat from various interests and industries. Like many a new adult-onset hunter, I started watching MeatEater as well as listening to the podcast. During one podcast episode, they had an advertisement for Backcountry Hunters and Anglers it immediately clicked for me. Hearing that there was an organization dedicated to standing up for and defending the preservation and enhancement of public access and public lands made me feel hopeful for the longterm sustainability of the lands and the way of life by which I had become enraptured. I joined the next day. I continue to be involved with Backcountry Hunters and Anglers because I believe in the mission and believe it is vastly more important than ever. I’m proud to be a part of BHA, supporting conservation and defending public lands, wildlife, wilderness, and habitat.   Want to get more involved with BHA? Check out our membership options! We also have a few specific board positions open. Click the photo to learn more! Meet our current Alaska Chapter Board! Would you like to be featured in an upcoming BHA Newsletter? Each month, we’ll feature a fellow member and their experiences with BHA. Our community is built on passionate outdoorsmen and women. Have a story to share? We’d love to hear it! Select the button below to proceed to the survey.  Share your story! VOLUNTEER WITH ALASKA BHA Alaska BHA celebrates our members and supporters that show up when it counts. We are always looking for helping hands to assist with chapter events, stewardship projects, and policy in various regions of the state (Interior, Southcentral, Western, and Southeast). If you are interested in exploring volunteer opportunities please email us at alaska@backcountryhunters.org  with some information on how you might like to help and where you are located in Alaska.  CHECK OUT OUR ALASKA CHAPTER SPONSORS! Each year we are generously supported by businesses and organizations around the state. If you're intersted in becoming an Alaska Chapter Sponsor in 2025, please reach out: [email protected].     Our Sponsors   Alaska Chapter of Backcountry Hunters & Anglers https://www.backcountryhunters.org/